Red Coat by Isobella Dunn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sara Flemming knows what it’s like in the foster care system, after a troubled childhood spent running away from various group homes and care facilities. Now, as a social worker, she feels a special connection to the children she cares for. When she meets fifteen year old Rachael, a young teen in foster care, she sees parts of herself reflected in Rachael and knows she must do what she can to help. Sara reluctantly agrees to return to her hometown of Victory, in order to collect Rachael, who, after being arrested, is waiting for her in the local police station. As Sara bonds with Rachael, she finds out Rachael is on the run from her abusive foster father, and both Sara and Rachael agree that Victory is the safest place for Rachael, even though Sara is reluctant to reconnect to the town (and the people) she once called home.

Isobella Dunn is a relatively new author, and “Red Coat” is her newest romantic suspense.
The novel covers issue of foster care and physical and sexual abuse, so it may be a trigger for some.

This novel played out like a Hallmark or Lifetime TV movie, complete with a quaint little town and a completely predictable ending. The simplistic language was a struggle for me; I would’ve preferred more developed and structured conversations. Dunn ensures every character has all of their inner thoughts put on paper, and there was definitely a need for stricter editing.

I enjoyed Sara and Rachael as characters, and right from the beginning you could see they were perfect for each other. It was obvious what the outcome was going to be between these two, and it definitely ended on a happy note. Right away, I found the character of Colin to be brash and forward, and honestly, he bordered a little on abusive and harassing. At the end of the novel though, Colin is more likable, but I think with a little more time for relationship history and character development, especially when it comes to Colin and Sara, I would’ve seen him the way the author intended. There seemed to be a giant gap missing between Colin and Sara’s relationship, and I needed more from them.

There was a lot of action in this novel, which was refreshing. When Rachael’s former foster father comes into the picture, even though the outcome is predictable (and some of the events were completely unrealistic), it was great to see Sara run to Rachael’s aid and overcome the predator.

Dunn’s novel is uplifting and light (even though the subject matter can be dark), and it was an easy read. I immediately cheered for both Sara and Rachael, and found the ending to be completely satisfying. “Red Coat” shines a light on the length that humans will go to in order to protect the ones they love, even when faced with hardship and trauma.